“So far the Ukrainian parliament's decision to forfeit its non-aligned status doesn’t threaten Russia’s security because it’s a political decision, but if this decision later turns into a military idea [of accession to NATO], then we will act accordingly. Then we will have a complete collapse with NATO, which will be practically impossible to rebuild,” Antonov said during a briefing in Moscow.
However, the new Kiev authorities have renewed the drive toward NATO membership since an armed conflict broke out in southeastern Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly warned Kiev that a non-aligned status is in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, their neighbors and Europe.
Ukraine's NATO bid has prompted a mixed reaction from the alliance, with the majority of NATO officials saying the country was not ready to join the bloc and urging Kiev to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing membership.
